Gigabit Wi-Fi almost ready for prime time

Despite earlier reports that pegged the arrival of gigabit Wi-Fi technology to mid-2012, gigabit wireless transfers appear to finally be ready for prime time if one considers the range of products being demonstrated at CES 2013, which concluded last week. Next-gen wireless products that were showcased ranged from wireless video displays to docking stations, as well as high-speed wireless file transfer technology.

For those not familiar with them, gigabit wireless products could incorporate the 802.11ad standard that operates over the 60GHz band, also known as WiGig. There is also the 802.11ac standard, which will work with a number of routers that are already on sale. The former appears to be more widely used in wireless appliances, while the latter was created with computing devices in mind.

Touted for its lower power consumption, WiGig has just received approval from the IEEE standards association, and now comes with a feature that allows for integration with legacy Wi-Fi products on the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands. The Wi-Fi Alliance will only begin certifying 802.11ac devices around April, reports Ars Technica.

Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) was spotted last week advertising for engineers experienced with Gigabit Wi-Fi technology. The company has traditionally been aggressive when it comes to implementing the latest wireless technology, such as including 3x3 Wi-Fi antennas in its MacBook Pro laptops at a fairly early stage, and Bluetooth 4.0 across its entire product line.

For more:
- check out this article at Ars Technica
- check out this article at Apple Insider

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